Delhi State AIDS Control Society
Government of NCT of Delhi

A patient with STI is at increased risk (5 to 8 times)of acquiring and transmitting HIV infection. Early diagnosis and treatment of STI helps in curing the STI and reducing the transmission for risk of HIV infection to the sexual partner. Besides, early treatment of STI also prevents infertility and ectopic pregnancies.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)/ Reproductive Tract Infections (RTI) are defined as any infection that spread primarily through person to person sexual contact and any infection that are located in reproductive tract.

STI symptoms in men

Discharge or pus from the penis Sores, blisters, Rashes or boils on the penis, Lumps on or near the genital area or penis swelling in the genital area, Pain or burning during urination, itching in and around the genital area

STI symptoms in women

Pain in the lower abdomen, Unusual and foul smelling discharge from the vagina, Lumps on or near the genital area, Pain or burning during the sexual intercourse,Itching in and around the genitals, Sores, blisters, Rashes or boils around the genitals. Women are more susceptible to infections. Correct and Consistent use of condom is the best way to prevent infection and it’s also important to take the full course and only stop medicines when told by doctor only. Get your partner also tested for STIs.

While there is no cure, effective Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) drugs are available which can prolong the life of an HIV positive person, thus enhance the quality of life as well. Patient has to take life long treatment once initiated on ART. It is freely available at ART centres across India.

The reasons for the important role of young people depend upon several factors:

• A major proportion of HIV infection occurs in young people
• Young people are at a high risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, including HIV if they experiment with sex or drug as a part of their growing up.
• Young people can communicate better with other young people than older people can. This means their role as peer educators and motivators cannot be taken by other people.
• Young people have the enthusiasm, energy and idealism that can be harnessed for spreading the message of HIV/AIDS awareness and responsible sexual behaviour.
• Young persons can spread the message not only to their peers and to younger children, but also to their families and the community.
• Young persons can ideally serve as role models for younger children and their peers.

This is important because AIDS has produced an unprecedented negative reaction from people.

• It has produced reaction of fear, hostility and prejudice.
• Sometimes people with HIV/AIDS have been evicted from their lodgings and rejected by their family or friends.
• Consequently people with AIDS are afraid to tell others about their condition for fear of victimization
• Reaction such as these are mostly due to ignorance
• Education on how AIDS is transmitted and how people can protect themselves is the most important means of reducing the spread of AIDS.
• Moreover, the facts that HIV is not transmitted through casual and social contacts including sharing of clothes and utensils, eating together, sharing the toilets, playing together, touching, hugging, is reinforced and the fear and stigma associated with HIV can be dispelled.

It is important that we help a person living with HIV/AIDS to remain strong in the body and mind, as this helps greatly to increase their life expectancy and the quality, by delaying the disease progression.

We can offer support by:

• Joining in the fight against reducing HIV/AIDS related Stigma and discrimination.
• Providing a balanced and nutritious diet
• Ensuring that the person stays active and economically productive
• Accepting the person along with the illness so that he or she maintains a positive self-image by feeling wanted and loved
• Providing the necessary care and affection and support to the family
• Helping neighbours, friends and relatives to understand the nature of the illness and the care and precautions required.

It is important to realize that AIDS is the concern of each one of us as anyone of us is at risk. By sharing and spreading correct facts and positive attitudes we can ensure the safest protective behaviour possible.

We can do this by: Sharing our knowledge and facts about AIDS with all the members of the family Realizing our responsibility to spread the knowledge about AIDS in our community, helping people understand the care and precautions required to avoid the spread of the disease, helping people realize that there is no risk attached to caring for a person with AIDS at home provided that sensible household hygiene measures are taken and by creating an enabling environment for PLHIV at workplace.

Both men and women share the responsibility for avoiding behaviour that might lead to HIV infection. Equally, they also share the right to refuse sex and assume responsibility for ensuring safe sex. In many societies, however, men have much more control than women to over when, with whom and how they have sex. In such cases, men need to assume greater responsibility for their actions.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a Bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

TB is spread through the air by a person suffering from TB. A single patient can infect 10 or more people in a year if not treated.

Cough for two weeks or more, sometimes with blood-streaked sputum

• Fever, especially at night>=2 weeks.
• Weight loss
• Night sweat
• TB usually affects the lungs, but it sometimes affects other parts of the body. TB can cause death if not treated with medicine. People don’t know they have TB infection unless they have been tested for TB.

HIV is the strongest risk factor for tuberculosis among adults. Tuberculosis is the most prominent opportunistic diseases to develop amongst persons infected with HIV. HIV debilitates the immune system increasing the vulnerability to TB and increasing the risk of progression from TB infection to TB disease. People with TB are also susceptible to HIV infection.TB is entirely curable with a full course of treatment, which is freely available up to the Primary Health centres, including ART centres in the country.